One of Jesus’ brothers in baseball
This takes me back to the days of Trivial Pursuit – remember that game? Sports was always my worst category, but one question I could answer was, “Who were the three Alou brothers?” Answer: Jesus, Felipe and Matty – the answer to today’s clue.
While there is a legend that says that all three brothers started in the outfield in a San Francisco Giants game, it is not true. They all did play outfield in a game, but they did not start – an important difference. How’s that for someone who claims to know next to nothing about sports?
While his career with the Giants was not remarkable, he did have one moment worth remembering. In 1962, he hit a pinch-hit single in a tie-breaking game three which rallied the Giants, giving them the game win over the Dodgers as well as the pennant. While known as an outfielder, he did pitch one game in 1963, leading to two scoreless innings.
Whne he was traded to the Pirates, he consulted with Harry “the Hat” Walker, whose tutelage produced impressive results. He won the National League Batting Title in 1966 and was named All-Star twice in 1968 and 1969.
Denmark sold it to the U. S. in 1917
Really? We purchased something from Denmark in 1917? Yes, indeed, the U. S. purchased St. Croix as well as St. Thomas and St. John for the sum of $25 million dollars in gold.
St. Croix was ruled mostly by indigenous tribes until the arrival of Columbus in 1492. After that, it passed through numerous hands including Spain, the Netherlands, Malta, Great Britain and France. In 1733, France sold it to Denmark. For the next 200 years, the islands were known as the Danish West Indies. In 1917, the sale was made; by 1927 the citizens were granted U. S. citizenship.
While St. Croix had always been an agrarian community, it soon became industrialized. It was home to HOVENSA, one of the largest oil refineries in the world. However, in 2012, it was closed. Now agriculture is again in the forefront, with sugar and rum production leading the way. It has been home to Cruzan Rum Distillery since the 1700’s and is now competing with Puerto Rico and Bermuda with their own single-barrel premium rum.
Its logo was the U.K.’s first registered trademark
The Bass Brewery was founded in 1777 by William Bass in Burton-Upon-Trent. Bass Ale, one of its main brands, was once the number one selling ale in the U.K. Its unique red triangle became the first registered trademark in the U.K.
The Bass Brewery assumed control of a number of other smaller breweries throughout the 1960’s and later merged with Charrington Breweries, making it the largest brewery in the U.K. In 2000, Anheuser-Busch InBev purchased the brewery, while the retail remained in the United Kingdom.